In an industry that is over 97% male-dominated, women in blue-collar construction trades are confronting gender stereotypes entrenched not only among carpenters and crane operators, but also in our culture at large. Theirs is a fight to redefine the labor movement and overcome the most enduring economic barriers for women.
HARD HATTED WOMAN is the first feature-length documentary to tell the story of women in construction trades. They are ironworkers and bricklayers, piledrivers and pipefitters, electricians and laborers—pioneering women who have pursued a daunting and non-traditional career path. Many of them are seeking economic empowerment through union construction jobs that offer better wages and benefits than most of the leading occupations for women. Others are drawn to the innate satisfaction of physically and technically demanding work. But all of them end up fighting to advance in a hyper-masculine arena where only the bold have entered and even fewer will succeed. Lingering myths and stereotypes about women's aptitudes and abilities prevent untold numbers of women from entering the trades, and cause many to leave.
Taking the viewer into the grit and intensity of construction sites, Hard Hatted Woman follows five protagonists through their daily experiences both on and off the job, creating intimate portraits of the women who choose this work. The story reveals how each woman confronts the challenges of the trades, how they shape her, and how she decides to shape them back. At the heart of their struggle is an enduring passion for the work itself—pride of craft, joy of building, love of trade. The narrative connects their personal journeys to a broader movement of tradeswomen, labor organizers, and long-time activists uniting to keep these non-traditional doors open for women.
STATUS UPDATE: Hard Hatted Woman is finally in post-production! After more than four years and $350,000 raised to bring this film to life, all footage has been shot and the film is now in editing. But we still need to raise at least $150,000 more in finishing funds. Please help us reach the finish line and launch this important film into the world!